Robyn

~Chapter 26~

This day is the first day in three weeks that I have seen Jun and Brielle, and while it is comforting to the see them, I have never felt more alone. We are here sitting beside each other, but as I glance at the room, I know we're not at all present--merely empty versions of our previous selves. I'm aware of what lies ahead of me, and I think they are too. There is nowhere left for us to run.

The door opens and out comes the prosecution lawyer. He's tall and lanky, with gelled down black hair. His suit is perfectly tailored. The only thing not so perfect are the wrinkles underneath his charcoal eyes and around his lips. He takes a seat on the opposite side of the table and watches us closely. He stops to look at Jun, Brielle and me.

"My name is Evan Green, and it is to my understanding that you would like to discuss plea bargain."

Watching his mouth move, it's as if  I'm under water and can only barely make out the muffled words. My future will depend on what is discussed here, but my mind cannot seem to focus on anything other than the sinking feeling in my stomach. Peter clears his throat before answering. "Yes. Currently what are you looking to propose?"

Evan pauses for a minute as he looks through his suitcase, pulling out a manilla fold. He skims through its contents before stooping. "Three counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. Five years for each of those counts, so fifteen, and then two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. That one is two counts of ten. So thirty five years."

Jun lets out a gasp, her eyes quickly welling with tears. My hands are cuffed to my seat, but I lay my head against her shoulder to let her know she is not alone.

"That can't happen. These are young teenage girls, Evan," Peter objects.

Evan puts up his hands. "I understand. So here's what I am willing. Since there is no minimum sentencing to the third degree, I'm willing to drop those counts to two years each."

"But what about those two tens?"

"Those I'm a little less willing to change."

I watch as the two men go back and forth in their demands and cannot help but feel helpless. I am no longer in control of my life. I cannot decide where to go, who to see, when to do something. My life is no longer mine. We were so close to being done--to getting away--and now look at us.

"These girls, whether you'd like to admit it or not, didn't steal to be malicious. They didn't even reap any benefits from it. They did it to help the community. They're not without morals, actually it's quite the opposite. Therefore we shouldn't treat them like cold-blooded criminals." Peter pauses and rubs his nose with a finger. "I propose that for the second degree they face five years each. That's a total of sixteen years. With good behavior they can be released after five years and spend the balanced time on parole."

 I'd be thirty two or thirty three when I get out I note. That's no short sentence. Still I know that's as good as we're going to get with this lawyer. As we wait for a response, my breath feels lodged in my throat. We're depending on this. Evan's dark eyes roam between us as he begins to straighten out his papers and tuck them back inside the manilla folder. He licks his lips, as he tucks the manilla folder back in his suitcase. "Peter, I'll call you later with my terms." Pressing his hands against his thighs he rises from his seat and smooths out his slacks. "You all have a pleasant day."

We watch as he exits, and almost immediately after he leaves Brielle turns to Peter. "What does that mean?" Her blue eyes are brimming with tears, and I have to turn away. "I don't want to spend my life in here. I can't--"

Peter places a hand on her shoulder. "Evan isn't  the most forward with his emotions. I'm hopeful Brielle. I believe he'll do that right thing."

"And if he doesn't?" I ask, not bothering to look at him.

"We'll cross that bridge if we get there."

**************

I'm looking up at the ceiling drawing  figures in my mind, when suddenly I notice the wall beside my bed moving toward me.The off white walls of my cell are closing in, and the air gets thinner as the walls cave in. I'm suffocating, and can't even manage a whisper. There's a voice in the distance. A warm, familiar voice. "Robyn?"

I gasp for air, letting out the hoarsest whisper. "Dad."

"Robyn?"

I want to yell. I am yelling, but only in my mind. I'm here dad. Right here dad. Help me. There's not enough air for me to make a sound, and the walls are now hugging me threatening to crush me like a soda can.

"Robyn you have a visitor."

I jolt from my sleep, looking around at the off white walls surrounding me. The female guard stands by the entrance of my cell, and watches me cautiously. My head is still attempting make sense of what's happening. "A visitor?" I ask, sliding my slippers onto my feet. I rise from my bed, feeling a tad lightheaded. The guard nods her head. I follow her from my cell. "Who is it?"

"A Mr. Ryland John."

A heavy breath escapes from my lips. I haven't heard from Ryland since before I was arrested, and why should I expect to?  Yet still, a part of me is excited to see him--his big brown, his messy brown hair. I miss his persistent presence and corny jokes. I just want to feel the way I felt before all of this.

I search the room filled with cubicles and  walls of plastic to separate love ones trying to find that familiar face. Inmates talk with their family and friends, but despite how warming the visit can be its bittersweet--a reminder that they're still separated from the world--and you can feel it in the atmosphere.

It's his hair I see first before I see his face. He's looking down, and sensing my presence looks up catching my eye. I almost smile, but I see the darkness in his and my face goes stoic. Sitting in the seat opposite him, I look through the glass and lift the phone to my ear. He reaches toward his own and stares emotionlessly at me. Seconds of silence pass by before I have the courage to speak up. Swallowing my saliva, I open my mouth. "Hey."

"Hey."

There's a pause, and I can't seem to take his silence. "Look, Ryland I wanted to say--" He holds up a hand and shakes his head. "Let me talk first okay?" he says as he bites his bottom lip, his head remaining low. "When I saw you on the news, I didn't know what to think. I always knew there was something missing, that you weren't telling me the full truth, but now I know why. You used me Robyn. You fucking used me." Ryland looks up at me, and I can see the tears in his eyes. "You let me get close to you so you could use me to get to my father."

I shake my head fiercely. "That's not true. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you involved. I didn't want to put you in a bad position Ryland. I didn't want to lose you. It was never about your father. I never cared--"

"How do you expect me to believe you?" he hisses as he holds his head in his hands. "I look so stupid. How does it look that the police commissioner's son had a relationship with a thief? I don't even know what we had to be honest. Lucky for my dad no one outside of our close circle knows right now, but does it matter? They are all looking at me, asking me, how could I not have known. And I don't know what to tell them. That I fell in love with a criminal."

Every word feels like a cut piercing my skin, and I feel a tear fall down my cheek. "I'm sorry. Ryland," I say willing him to look up and look at me, "I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. You have to believe me. Please. I can't, I can't lose you too. I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

His thick fingers course through his head, and he finally looks back up at me. The sadness in his eyes makes my words catch in my throat. "I wish I believed you." He shakes his head, and looks away. "I'm sorry Robyn."

"Ryland please," I beg. "I love you." The words slip from my tongue, but I know I mean it.

He stares at me, his eyes piercing through mine before he lets out a sigh. "I loved you too." His hand places the phone back on the receiver, and I listen to the line click and watch as he walks away.

A/N:  New chapter guys! I planned to get this out earlier in the week, but it's been a pretty rough week here in the U.S. and I just wasn't in the mindset to write for much of it. But I managed to push this chapter out. I know some of you were wondering about Ryland, so here his is. Please tell me your thoughts thus far! Comment below! Thanks for your support and I'll see you guys later!